Sales help

April 11, 2007 2:54 PM

How can I sell better when the interaction begins with a cold call and is transacted entirely over the phone?

I work for a company that sells special finance leads to car dealerships and the sales is all over the phone. I just started two weeks ago and I'm having some problems getting anyone to sign up for our services. I'm looking for some tips for better cold calling and selling. I don't usually have any problem getting people on the phone or reaching the decision maker. My problem lies in creating urgency and not being argumentative enough (I guess agressive) with people that tell me they aren't interested for various reasons. In the two weeks I've been doing this I've only sold one deal and I'm starting to get a little freaked out about my ability to do it at all. However, I think this skill can be learned, so please help me learn it! Any book recommendations would be helpful as well.

posted by josher71 to work & money (19 comments total)

I suggest you grow a thick skin, real fast. Telemarketers tend not to get much love in these parts. Fair warning.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 3:12 PM on April 11, 2007

Due to my name being on my company's web site, I receive a lot of cold calls. THe ones that stand out are the polite thoughtful calls, I never really buy anything from a cold call, but they do make me think.

The ones that stand out are for the companies I will never do business with. These are the ones that call even ask them not to, and lie about who else they have spoken to in the company (e.g. I talked with Sam and he said he's for it, can I give you my pitch - when I know they they never had a real conversation with Sam) or try to force me to buy something though agression.

The argumentative folks never get my business. I'm sure it may work for some people or products though.

Practice practice practice. If you sound nervous on the phone, you won't likely make the sale. Know your pitch, practice overcoming the objections.

Ask your coworkers, they have likely been hearing the same things you have been. There may be a company standard list of ways to overcome the standard objections.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 3:21 PM on April 11, 2007

I did a very brief stint in telemarketing several years ago, and they supplied us with rebuttal sheets, which you pretty much needed to memorize 100%. If you can get someone to practice with you, as silly as it sounds, it's even better. If you memorize every rebuttal your company has provided you with, and are able to use them confidently and without hesitation in appropriate situations, your sales won't SOAR, but will certainly increase. It's very hard to be "aggressive" when someone hits you with a response you weren't expecting, so roleplaying these scenarios can really help.
posted by srrh at 3:27 PM on April 11, 2007

I also work over the phone.

One of the most important thing is to really believe your product is good and can bring true benefits to the person you are calling.

I have a "synopsis" in front of me. It's hand-written, it's simple. It starts with "Hello" and has everything I want to say.

When I talk, my eyes are on that "synopsis". It's like a teleprompter. Or a script: I have my lines, my counterpart has his/her lines. I know it's there in front of me and it gives me confidence.

When you have confidence, your voice is clear and stable, you start listening to the other person.
posted by amusem at 3:30 PM on April 11, 2007

I did this for a while and all I can advise is to get personal quick. When someone is rebuffing you no script or buzzword is going to stop them hanging up. Engage the person on the end of the phone and try and make it conversational ASAP, before winding your way back to the pitch one they are on your side.

I worked for a rather shady operation and we were given a free reign, so I would usually introduce myself and the product then get personal straight away, ask them questions, and get information on them before they could question the product. A gentle grind really works.

I'm sorry.
posted by fire&wings at 3:59 PM on April 11, 2007

*once
posted by fire&wings at 4:00 PM on April 11, 2007

I work in a similar field (and have done for 2 years or so) - warm calling, lots of recommendations and direct inquiries, but occasionally get asked to deal with "mailers" where most people have no clue what we're talking about, and often don't have the necessaries required for us to sell our product in the first place.

Tips (list form for my benefit):

1) It's hard work. People will dehumanise you. Don't feel bad about wanting to pay your bills. Don't feel bad about calling someone a prick after you put the phone down, but understand their frustration at the same time. Carrying around the anger is not good for you and delays the next call.

2) Be friendly, don't read from a script, generally have a relaxed but professional attitude towards the person you're talking to. No one likes talking to a robot that doesn't listen. "Hello, how are you?" tends to work, because it requires a customer to stop and think. You discover the nicest people this way, because then they ask you how YOU are.

3) Open ended questions are your friend. The more you let the customer talk, the more leeway you have.

4) When someone says "please do not call me again", do just that. There's no reason to return to someone that will not buy your product. That time can be spent on the next call.

5) People saying they'll call you back usually means they won't.
5a) Always call people back before you said you will, unless it's the same day.

6) Like bottlebrushtree said, arguing, pressure or any kind of backing someone into a corner is shitty and rarely works for me or my customers.

7) Listen in on coworker's calls (if you have coworkers) and steal their lines. We do this all the time in the office, sometimes just to change the routine, and it works.

8) You have to pick your times, in my opinion. Catch people on a good day, know the product inside out, and find a way to convince them that "this is the best time to buy". So know statistics: when/why/how/who has purchased from the company in the past, and play from the strengths.

9) Playing yourself off any rivals also helps. I know my company is better than X company because we have a wider variety of the product blah blah blah.

I hope none of this is too basic for you :) You've got my admiration for taking a cold calling job and wanting to stick at it. My job is relatively easy compared to yours!
posted by saturnine at 4:05 PM on April 11, 2007

Okay, I worked as a telemarketer once. Here are my evil tips:

1. Act like you know them. One guy I worked with actually would use the person's first name, like "Hi, is Bob there? Hey Bob, this is so and so from so and so." I think it's enough to just act like you SHOULD be calling them rather than are making some lame cold call. Act like what you are doing is important and reasonable. Making it personable does make it tougher to hang up on you. Do NOT sound like a cold call, because they WILL hang up. Remember, they are specially chosen customers, or something, not just random people you are calling. You are calling "motivated dealers" or whatever term you want to use that you think will please them.

2. In your pitch, which should be fast, talk about how people love the different aspects of whatever you are selling. "Dealers love such and such, cuz it saves them money every blah de blah".

3. Don't know how this will work for you, but when it comes time to sell, act like there isn't a choice to make. After you run through your patter, ask for their credit card number. Don't ask if they want to do it, just act like of course they want to do it, and start signing them up. I mean, they'd be crazy not to want to get it, right?

4. If someone strongly tells you they are not interested, that's great, because you are no longer wasting time on them. Move on to your next call. Selling is partly a numbers game, you want to call as many potential buyers as possible and waste as little time as possible.

5. Be upbeat.
posted by xammerboy at 4:22 PM on April 11, 2007

4) When someone says "please do not call me again", do just that. There's no reason to return to someone that will not buy your product. That time can be spent on the next call.
...and...
5a) Always call people back before you said you will, unless it's the same day.

Seconded. These are the two things that annoy me to no end. If I don't want your services, really - I don't. But if you don't make yourself a giant pain, I may remember you in the future if I do need your service. (Well, I'll remember you if you are a big pain, but not in a good way). I also would like for you to put some (additional) effort into this. I have better things to do than wait for the phone to ring an hour and a half after you said you'd call.

So basically, tell the truth and be polite. It goes a long way.
posted by niles at 4:27 PM on April 11, 2007

Personally I wouldn't act like you know them. I am polite and never hang up while they are talking, it's a hard job, and while I never have, and never will buy something from anyone this way I also never yell, swear or become rude. But those that use this tactic(as if they know me) truly piss me off to no end. fwiw
posted by edgeways at 4:51 PM on April 11, 2007

"Don't know how this will work for you, but when it comes time to sell, act like there isn't a choice to make. After you run through your patter, ask for their credit card number. Don't ask if they want to do it, just act like of course they want to do it, and start signing them up. I mean, they'd be crazy not to want to get it, right?"

That's called "closing".

It's not clear to me at what point you're having trouble. I was successful selling computer in a retail and warm-calling setting, but when I tried my hand with a different company at cold-calling on the telephone as you're doing, I couldn't do it. Too much initial friction and hostility. My skin wasn't quite that thick. So if your problem is at the beginning of the call, I can't help you.

If your problem is in the middle or at the close, then I probably can. If you qualify your customer correctly and thoroughly, you shouldn't have a problem avoiding most objections in the first place. If you're supposed to sell things to people that don't need them, on the other hand, then I can't help you. That's not how I worked.

If your problem is at the close, then nothing is going to solve that other than keeping at it and learning from experience. Closing is hard, it doesn't feel quite right, it is inherently too aggressive for me. But you can't be successful in sales unless you learn to do it. The first thing that helps is qualification. If you know that your customer needs what you're selling them, that they're better off buying it than not, it's much easier to be aggressive and close the sale. The second thing that helps is to realize that a large number of people want you to close the sale because they have trouble making buying decisions on their own. Hell, I'm that way. Lots of times it's a relief when the salesperson tips me over the edge when he/she closes. The third thing is that it works. You've just made a sale, that's money in your pocket, you're happy. Closing works. The positive reinforcement of it is the most effective training technique there is.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 4:58 PM on April 11, 2007

Not a telemarker myself, but I worked with someone who was really good at this:

1. Be friendly, but get straight to the point; people get annoyed if you try to chat them up.
2. Don't be aggressive. It'll make people hate you.
3. (most important) Mention really early on, like in your first sentence, that you'd like to send them a brochure. Imply that this is your primary goal. As soon as you start talking, they're going to be gearing up for the fight to get rid of you, but you can de-escalate by making it clear that you're not going to pressure them, and that you'll be happy just to send them some info. People will be more responsive if they can relax.
posted by equalpants at 5:13 PM on April 11, 2007

One thing I hate is when a telemarketer calls and launches into their schpeil before I can finish saying hello.
posted by radioamy at 8:09 PM on April 11, 2007

Yes, closing is the problem for me and I think for the same reason that you think it is hard Ethereal Bligh. It is seemingly too aggressive. I think it is a matter of practice. One main issue for me is that I'M not sold on the product really but their must be customers that are satisfied because the company is very successful.

There are some great tips here!
posted by josher71 at 5:53 AM on April 12, 2007

"One main issue for me is that I'M not sold on the product really but their must be customers that are satisfied because the company is very successful."

I'm a do-gooder and I don't like to be aggressive. I sucked so bad when I first tried to learn how to sell.

It took me a while to learn, but I eventually became a very good salesperson and made good money. I couldn't manage to do it by being a cold-hearted shark. I had to learn to do it by working with my own personality and instincts.

So what I did was concentrate on really and truly trying to solve the customers' problems and make them happy. I didn't sell them stuff they didn't need just to make more money. I treated them well, they trusted me, and it became much easier to close because I knew that they wouldn't be talking to me if they weren't interested in buying and that, working together, we'd found the right thing for them to buy. I generated a lot of repeat customers and over the long run, that helped my sales numbers a great deal.

I don't want to make it sound like even in that scenario closing becomes very easy. It doesn't, it's always hard if you're the type of person (which is most people) who finds it hard to close. But it's much easier than otherwise.

So my recommendation to you is to either make sure you're selling something you believe in and then do what I did; or learn to just be cold-hearted and aggressive. The majority of successful salesepeople are the latter types, but a decent minority are the former. Either way, though, you still have to make the sale happen in some sense. That's just the way it is.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 7:21 AM on April 12, 2007

I realize that I'm not giving actual tips on closing. That's because there's oodles of info available on the web and everywhere else about closing. A Google search will turn up a lot of good advice.

Don't ask questions that invite a "no, I don't want this" or anything else that ends the conversation right then and there. I'm not saying you should be a pest, but don't invite the customer to tell you to go away. Because they will, even if they would have probably otherwise been interested in your product. That's the way people are.

Similarly, in closing, make it easy for the person to agree to a buying decision and hard for them to disagree. As advised above, act like the decision has already been made, you just need to handle the details. At that point it's hard for someone to stop the salesperson and say "no" and if you've qualified them, meaning you've worked with them through finding the thing that's right for them (in your case it sounds like you have one product so I guess you'd establish that early on), then they'll very often just go along with you and make the purchase. And as I said before, this isn't such a bad thing because many, many people are so indecisive about making a purchase decision that it's really a relief when they effectively don't have to do it and it's suddenly already decided. If you want to be a good guy, then you just need to really read people well and understand them and know the difference between pushing them into something they will be happy with and pushing them into something that they won't.
posted by Ethereal Bligh at 7:32 AM on April 12, 2007

The best thing you can do to be successful in this is to internalize one thing: you have a product that is useful to some people and worth the money. I don't know what it is, but in almost all cases that's true. After all, people buy these damned things.

Your job as a salesperson is to connect the person who needs your product with it, and sometimes that involves demonstrating that to someone who doesn't even know yet that they want it. This gets a bad rap because salespeople are just as subject to Sturgeon's Law as scifi is: 90% of them are crap, and a sizeable portion work to connect people with things they don't need. Just don't be that douchbag. Qualify your customer and close them.

You say you're reaching the decision maker so you seem to be doing what is, for you, the qualifying, so I'm just saying this to try to reassure you if it's hesitation that's keeping you from closing. Don't be afraid to give someone something they need in exchange for their money. Hell, that's the exact business your prospective customer is in!

Look around for sales books that are in line with this line of thinking, rather than horseshit sell-anyone stuff, and you'll find several good ones. I found one that I liked and whose techniques worked well for me and found it useful to pick up and skim again and again over the years I was in the business, just to re-energize myself.
posted by phearlez at 8:41 AM on April 12, 2007

Keep a mirror on your desk where you can see your face while you're on the phone. It will trigger you to smile and make the all of your presentation more relaxed.

Try pre-closing, as in after the pitch close with "and how many can I put you down for?" - sort of thing. From there you'll get some response about their exceptions to the deal, which you can work through with them. The point being you have to get them into a conversation -- which means you have to be interested in them as a person (people love to talk about themselves).

It's just that every time they'll tell you they aren't going to buy, they should be able to tell you why. Realize that the answer to that question isn't exactly the truth, but the excuse they came up with off the top of their head (ie. "it's too expensive" may well mean "I'm more comfortable working with my current vendor"). "Buyers are liars" is the sales adage used to support this.

When they give you their exception, use "feel, felt, found" as in "I understand how you feel, and recently another customer felt the same way, but what they found was (state benefit of going with your stuff)." Be ready to laugh, since you're dealing with car guys it's quite likely they'll come back and say "Did you just use 'feel, felt, found' on me?" Laugh and acknowledge if you're busted out, but keep the conversation going.

You're offering a product which is doing them a favor by giving them a chance to make more money at what they do -- so sell that, sell the value.

Mostly, you're in at a grunt level, so just keep grunting, smiling and dialing. You'll learn things and if you stick with it you'll be okay. Keep an eye on the mirror.
posted by Elvis at 10:10 AM on April 12, 2007

I've never done cold calling, but I've been cold called a hell of a lot. The only time I ever bought something from a cold caller was when a guy showed up on my doorstep selling electricity plans. I was just about to brush him off too when he mentioned that his company sold 100% green plans. What made the sale for him was that he (a) knew his plans and products enough to be informative (b) admitted when he didn't know something off the top of his head, but was prepared with written material to check up on what I'd asked (c) encouraged me to jump on the Web and check out what his competitors were offering (d) took the time to work out exactly how much more I'd be paying for a 100% green plan from his org than I was paying for my existing 100% brown plan from another discounter.

One thing no cold caller has ever done is offer me a contact number in case I become interested in their product after telling them I'm not interested now. If one did, I might be impressed enough to make a note of it. If I say I'm not interested, the last thing I want to hear is an argument.

Getting personal quickly and abandoning scripts will keep me on the phone for longer, but has its own dangers; I once sold a cold caller a membership in my credit union :-)
posted by flabdablet at 11:44 PM on April 12, 2007